Black while basking?

[park]

Hello,
My new juvenile jacksons chameleon has always been bright blue and green while basking. However, lately when I take him outside, no matter how hot it is, he turns completely black or a mottled brown. It's starting to worry me. He also opens his mouth super wide. I think he is dehydrated, and I've been trying to get him to drink. I mist his cage daily and mist him directly at least twice a day. I saw a video where someone squirts water directly onto a chameleons mouth so he would drink, and I've been trying this method because I feel like he never drinks. He has drinken this way a few times, but has stopped recently and just seems annoyed when I spray his mouth. Any help? Thanks!

 

[serenaj25]

when he opens his mouth that could mean he is overheated, and chams usually tend to get darker while basking anyways. Make sure when you take him outside he has plenty of places to go if he needs shade to cool down. Do you keep him in direct sunlight on your hand or on a plant?

 

[park]

when he opens his mouth that could mean he is overheated, and chams usually tend to get darker while basking anyways. Make sure when you take him outside he has plenty of places to go if he needs shade to cool down. Do you keep him in direct sunlight on your hand or on a plant?

I put him on plants. It's funny though because when I first got him and took him out into the sun on my hand, he would immediately brighten. Now it doesn't matter whether it's my hand or a plant, he's always brownish. I'm thinking of buying him a ficus tree for perching on.

 

[Angelwolf]

He is scared to pi$$. That's why he's on the side of your hand. He is trying to hide and look unappetizing. He is extremely stressed out.

 

[Virgil1972]

I agree he looks pretty stressed out. There is a chance of him drowning by squirting water in his mouth.

 

[Tortdad]

Have you tried the shower method to see if he's drinking?

 

[park]

Have you tried the shower method to see if he's drinking?

I have not tried that. I think I need to buy a suitable plant first

 

[Tortdad]

Grab any fake plant you can and try the shower today. You don't have the water spray in forrectlynon your cham. You have it spray on the wall of the shower so just the mist lands on your cham. The temp Is different for each species

 

[Andee]

There are more tell tale signs to show whether he is hydrated enough. Most of the time chams will not drink in front of others

 

[park]

Grab any fake plant you can and try the shower today. You don't have the water spray in forrectlynon your cham. You have it spray on the wall of the shower so just the mist lands on your cham. The temp Is different for each species

Thanks, I will try that